It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 40

I felt like someone had plucked a knife from the silverware drawer and stabbed me in the chest.  I struggled to breathe, leaning on the window and closing my eyes.  Dannon collapsed.  He was in the hospital.  It was like a nightmare coming to life right before my eyes.

“What happened?” I demanded, my voice coming out in a croak.

I could feel Kyla’s gaze on me, but I didn’t look at her.  If I did my emotions would fall out before I could stop them.  I couldn’t afford to cry now.  I had to get information first.

Tom cleared his throat again before replying.  “He was getting ready to leave the house to go somewhere—probably to your house, I’m not sure—and I heard a loud crashing noise.  I went out to see what happened, and I found Dannon was lying on the floor in front of the door, unconscious.”

I sucked in a breath, trying to keep calm.  I could see it now: Dannon lying on the ground looking so peaceful despite the fact that he’d just fallen unconscious randomly.  My stomach hurt so badly that I thought I was going to puke.  “I’m coming over there.  Which hospital are you at?”

Tom told me the hospital Dannon was at and what wing he’d be residing in.  I said a quick goodbye before hanging up the phone and letting my head fall into my hands.  Why did God have to do this to him?  Dannon didn’t deserve this!  He was too sweet, too caring to deserve a fate as shitty as this one.

“What happened?” Kyla demanded softly, the concern clear in her voice.  “Where am I driving?”

“Dannon collapsed,” I whispered, the raw ache growing in the pit of my stomach.  “He’s at the hospital.”

Kyla nodded, fitting her facial features to look emotionless.  She always did this when she was fighting back tears.  She was just as upset with the news as I was.  She was just much better at hiding it.  “Which one?”

“Saint Mary’s.”          

She nodded briskly, pulling over and letting a few cars shoot by before doing a U-turn.  I bit my lip as we passed by the middle school.  We were betting close now.  I watched numbly as students flooded out from the doors, happy that school was finally over.  They had no idea that someone so important to the world was lying in a hospital bed, probably still unconscious.  They had no idea that someone so important to many, many people was running on a short lifeline. 

“He’s going to be okay.”

I shook my head slightly, wishing that Kyla wouldn’t say that.  As uplifting as it was, it wasn’t going to help us in our current situation.  All it was going to do was prove that there was a possibility that he wouldn’t be okay, that he wouldn’t be returning back to school.  Even though I knew this was going to happen eventually, I just couldn’t accept it.  Not now.

We pulled into the parking lot, and slid into a parking lot.  I was already unbuckling before the car came to a stop, ready to hop out while the vehicle was still in motion.  With a great amount of willpower, I forced myself to stay in the car until Kyla took her keys out of the ignition, ready to get out herself.

It was silent on our way to Dannon’s room.  We got visitor passes from the secretary—because, apparently that was mandatory—and hurried down the hall, searching for the right room number.  There were so many ill people there, so many people who were hurting just like us.  I felt for them, I really did.

Finally, we came to stand in front of Dannon’s room.  I took a deep breath before opening it, ready for the worst.  I stepped inside, Kyla not far behind.  I sighed in relief.  Dannon was asleep (that was how I was furthermore going to refer to it as) in the hospital bed with Tom by his side.  Tom looked up as I entered and smiled the best he could.  I could tell that it was hard.